KR20160073987A - Absorbent article having an absorbent assembly with integral containment flaps - Google Patents

Abstract

The absorbent assembly includes a liquid pervious bodyside liner, a liquid impervious backsheet, and an absorbent structure disposed between the liner and the backsheet. A pair of laterally opposed leak-barrier flaps are integrally formed from the body-side liner.

Description

[0001] ABSORBENT ARTICLE HAVING AN ABSORBENT ASSEMBLY WITH INTEGRAL CONTAINMENT FLAPS [0002]

The present invention relates generally to absorbent articles for personal wear, and more particularly to absorbent articles having an absorbent assembly with integral integral containment flaps.

Absorbent articles such as diapers, training pants, urinary incontinence garments, and the like have conventionally been used as an absorbent core (also referred to as an absorbent or absorbent structure) formed separately from the liner, liquid impervious outer cover, . The absorbent core is disposed between the liner facing the body and the outer cover and is located at least in the crotch region of the absorbent article to receive and retain body exudates (e.g., urine, menstrual secretions, blood) that the wearer is spilling.

Some known absorbent articles include leak-barrier flaps attached to the liner facing the body to contain body exudates that the wearer spills and / or inhibit body exudates from leaking out of the absorbent article. These leak-barrier flaps are typically formed by folding a nonwoven material and bonding the folded nonwoven material to a bodyside liner. The leak-barrier flaps are typically spaced apart and extend in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article. The leak-barrier flaps are typically affixed to the bodyside liner in the inboard direction of the lateral edges of the bodyside liner to provide an externally laterally-located attachment area of the bodyside liner to the outer cover do.

The outer cover of this absorbent article typically includes an attachment region corresponding to the attachment region of the bodyside liner to bond the bodyside liner to the outer cover. The leak-barrier flaps, the body-side liner, and the outer cover require additional material in the crotch region along the lateral outer portions of the outer cover and the bodyside liner to attach the bodyside liner to the outer cover from the leak- . This additional material makes the crotch region wider than the functionally required area. In addition, this additional material through the crotch region of the absorbent article typically has a " corrugated " appearance along the lateral lateral portions. These features are undesirable in absorbent articles which are often undesirable and which are designed to look like underwear, especially with a fairly narrow and wrinkled crotch region.

Accordingly, there is provided an absorbent article having leakage proof flaps configured to maintain the performance of the absorbent article and to reduce the overall width of the crotch region of the absorbent article while providing an appearance, fit, and feel that looks like an undergarment, and a method of making such an absorbent article Is required.

In one aspect, the disposable absorbent assembly generally includes a liquid permeable bodyside liner, a liquid impervious backsheet, and an absorbent structure disposed between the liner and the backsheet. A pair of laterally opposed leak-barrier flaps are integrally formed from the body-side liner. The back sheet extends into the leak-barrier flaps.

In another aspect, the absorbent assembly generally includes a bodyside liner comprising a central region having a first liquid permeability and lateral lateral regions each having a second liquid permeability. The second liquid permeability of the laterally outer regions is lower than the first liquid permeability of the central region. The absorbent assembly also includes a liquid impervious backsheet and an absorbent structure disposed between the liner and the backsheet. A pair of laterally opposed leak-barrier flaps are integrally formed from the body-side liner.

In another aspect, the absorbent assembly generally comprises a liquid pervious bodyside liner and an absorbent structure. A pair of laterally opposed leak-barrier flaps are integrally formed from the bodyside liner and are configured to fold the bodyside liner and attach the bodyside liner to the bodyside liner itself along two longitudinally extending adhesive seams . Each leak-barrier flap includes a fixed edge and a free edge opposite the fixed edge. Each of the adhesive seams abuts the inner surface of the fixed edge of each leak-barrier flap.

Other features of the invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

1 is a side perspective view of a suitable embodiment of an absorbent article shown in the form of a training panty, with the training panty having a mechanical fastening system fastened to one side of the training panty and not fastened to the opposite side.
Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the absorbent article of Fig. 1 in a state in which the training panty is not fastened and laid flat; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view showing the surface of the training panty adapted to face the opposite side of the wearer during use. .
3 is a top plan view similar to that of FIG. 2, showing the surface of a training panty adapted to face the wearer in use, with portions of the training panties being cut to illustrate the underlying features.
Figure 4 is a top plan view of a suitable embodiment of an absorbent assembly in an unfolded flattened configuration suitable for use with the training panties of Figures 1-3 so that portions of the absorbent assembly, Floor plan.
Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the absorbent article of Fig. 4 in a folded and flat lay-up configuration, with portions of the absorbent assembly being cut away to show the underlying features. Fig.
6 is a cross-sectional view of the absorbent assembly of FIG. 4 taken along line 6-6;
7A is a cross-sectional view of the absorbent assembly of FIG. 5 taken along line 7A-7A.
7B is a cross-sectional view of the absorbent assembly of FIG. 5 taken along line 7B-7B.
8A is a cross-sectional view of another suitable embodiment of an absorbent assembly for use with the training pants of FIGS. 1-3 cut through the crotch region of the absorbent assembly.
8B is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 8A cut through the back waist region of the absorbent assembly.
Figure 9 is a top plan view of another suitable embodiment of an absorbent article in the form of a training panty that illustrates the surface of a training panty adapted to face the wearer when worn, Top plan view, partially cut away.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly referring to Fig. 1, one suitable embodiment of an absorbent article is illustrated in the form of a child's training pant and is indicated generally by the reference numeral 20. The term absorbent article generally refers to an article that may be placed in close proximity to or proximate the wearer ' s body to absorb and / or retain various exudates from the body. The absorbent training pant 20 may or may not be disposable. Disposable articles refer to articles intended to be discarded after a limited period of use instead of being washed or handled for reuse. Embodiments of the present invention may be practiced with other types of personal care or health care apparel such as diapers, swimming diapers, feminine hygiene products (e.g., sanitary napkins), incontinence products, medical apparel, surgical pads and bandages, But is not limited to, use in various other absorbent articles that an individual wishes to wear.

Various materials and methods for constructing training panties, such as panties 20 of various aspects of the present invention described herein, are described in PCT patent application WO 00, published June 29, 2000 by A. Fletcher et al. / 37009, U.S. Patent No. 4,940,464, issued July 10, 1990 to Van Gompel, U.S. Patent No. 5,766,389, June 16, 1998, Brandon et al., And Nov. 11, 2003, No. 6,645,190, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

1 to 3, the training pant 20 includes a front waist region 22, a back waist region 24, and a crotch extending in the longitudinal direction between the front and rear regions, Area 26 is defined. The front waist region 22, the back waist region 24, and the crotch region 26 are schematically indicated by respective reference numerals. The training pant 20 has a pair of laterally opposed side edges 28 and a pair of longitudinally opposite waist edges designated by a front waist edge 30 and a back waist edge 32, respectively. The front waist region 22 can be adjacent the front waist edge 30 and the back waist region 24 is adjacent the back waist edge 32. [

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the training pant 20 includes a chassis indicated generally by the numeral 34 and an absorbent assembly generally designated 36 and attached to the chassis 34. Arrows 60 and 62 in FIGS. 2 and 3 respectively indicate the orientation of the training pant 20 in the longitudinal and transverse or lateral axes. The illustrated absorbent assembly 36 extends longitudinally from the front waist region 22 to the back waist region 24 through the crotch region 26. Although the illustrated absorbent assembly 36 is shown and described as extending from the crotch region 26 to both the front and back waist regions 22 and 24, it will be understood that the absorbent assembly 36 36 may extend from the crotch region 26 primarily to the front waist region 22 or to the back waist region 24 primarily. In addition, the absorbent assembly 36 may extend along the crotch region 26 and / or to any suitable length to the front waist region 22 and / or the back waist region 24.

In the illustrated embodiment, the chassis 34 and the absorbent assembly 36 are formed separately from each other. However, it is contemplated that in some embodiments, the chassis 34 and the absorbent assembly 36 may be integrally formed with each other. It is also contemplated that in some suitable embodiments, the absorbent assembly 36 may be disposable and the chassis 34 may not be disposable. It is also contemplated that the absorbent assembly 36 may be configured to be inserted into a conventional undergarment. For example, the absorbent assembly 36 may include a garment adhesive for attaching the absorbent assembly to the undergarment, as is known in the art. In this embodiment, the undergarment defines a chassis 34.

2 and 3, the chassis 34 includes a central portion 38 extending in the longitudinal direction, a portion extending outwardly from the central portion 38 in the front waist region 22 A pair of laterally opposed front side portions 40 (which form laterally outward portions of the waist region and, more broadly, laterally opposite sides of the training panty), and a pair of laterally- (Which thus defines lateral outer portions of the back waist region and also defines the sides of the training panty with the front lateral portions 40) outwardly from the central portion in the region 24 And a pair of rear side portions 42 opposite to each other. In the illustrated embodiment, the central portion 38 extends from the front waist region 22 through the crotch region 26 to the back waist region 24 of the training pant 20.

In one suitable embodiment and as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the front side portions 40, the rear side portions 42, and the central portion 38 are formed of the same sheet of material. In other suitable embodiments, one or more of the front side portions 40, the rear side portions 42, and / or the central portion 38 may be formed of two or more separate elements. For example, in one suitable embodiment, the front side portions 40 and / or the rear side portions 42 may be formed separately from the central portion and attached to the central portion 38. It is contemplated that in some suitable embodiments, the rear side portions, the front side portions, or the central portion 38 (at least in the crotch region 26 of the training pant 20 20) may be omitted. For example, in one such embodiment, the central portion 38 may be omitted from the crotch region 26 of the training pant 20. The front side portions 40 and / or the rear side portions 42 may then be formed from separate sheets of material (in this case, the front side portions 40 and / As will be described more precisely). For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the training pant 420 includes a front side and rear side panels (not shown) that are formed separate from and are secured to the absorbent assembly 36, (502, 504). In this embodiment, there is no chassis in at least a portion of the crotch region 26 of the training pant 20.

The chassis 34 has a minimum width 134 taken along the lateral axis 62 of the training pant 20. 3, the minimum width 134 is located along the central portion 38 of the chassis 34 and is within the crotch region 26 of the training pant 20. The illustrated minimum width 134 of the chassis 34 corresponds to that portion of the training panty generally located between the legs of the wearer and covers the lower torso of the wearer, in particular the perineal area of the wearer.

The chassis 34 may comprise any suitable material, including, for example and without limitation, a liquid-permeable material that provides a roughly textured texture. Chassis 34 may be a single layer or multi-layer laminate structure of material. The chassis 34 or parts of the chassis may also be made of such materials that make up the liquid-permeable bodyside liner 48. In other suitable embodiments, it may be considered that the chassis 34 is liquid impermeable. It is also contemplated that the chassis 34 may be gas impermeable or gas impermeable (i.e., " breathable "). One suitable " breathable " material is comprised of a microporous polymer film or nonwoven fabric that is coated or otherwise treated to impart a desired level of liquid impermeability.

It can also be considered that the chassis 34 can be stretchable and more suitably elastic. Specifically, the chassis 34 is appropriately stretchable and more appropriately resilient, at least in the transverse or circumferential direction of the training pant 20. In other embodiments, the chassis 34 may be stretchable, and more suitably elastic, in both the transverse and circumferential directions. It can be considered that the chassis 34 is stretchable in any suitable direction.

The absorbent training pant 20 and more particularly the chassis 34 may include a front waist elastic member 78, a back waist elastic member 80, and / or a leg elastic member 70, as known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Member (not shown). The waist elastic members 78 and 80 are attached to the inner surface of the chassis 34 (i.e., the surface of the chassis facing the wearer when worn) or the outer surface of the chassis 34 (i.e., the surface of the chassis facing away from the wearer) . The leg elastic members may be attached to the inner surface of the chassis 34 or the outer surface of the chassis 34 along opposing side edges 28 and may be attached to the crotch region 26 of the absorbent training pant 20, Lt; / RTI > The leg elastic members may be longitudinally aligned along the side edges 58 of the absorbent assembly 36 or as shown in Figure 3 the leg elastic members may be arranged on opposing side edges 28 ). ≪ / RTI >

Although the training pant 20 of the illustrated embodiment has a pair of refastening seams 70 disposed on the side of the training panty (one seam is shown in Figure 1) Seams can be located at any suitable position on the training pant and allow seams to be permanently attached (e.g., by adhesive, thermal bonding, pressure bonding, thermal bonding). The illustrated re-fastening seams 70 also include loop fastening components 90 (broadly, " first fastening ") that selectively fasten with hook fasteners 92 (broadly, Part "), it is contemplated that any suitable refastenable fastening mechanisms, such as other types of mechanical fastening mechanisms, adhesive fastening mechanisms, viscous fastening mechanisms, etc., may be used.

3 and 4, the absorbent assembly 36 of the illustrated embodiment includes at least a portion of the chassis 20 along the crotch region 26 of the absorbent training pant 20, such as by adhesive, ultrasonic bonding, thermal bonding, (34). Suitable adhesives may be applied continuously or intermittently as beads, spray, parallel vortex, etc. Suitable ultrasonic bonding, pressure bonding, and / or thermal bonding may be formed continuously or intermittently along the absorbent assembly 36 to attach the absorbent assembly 36 to the chassis 34. In the illustrated embodiment, the absorbent assembly 36 is permanently attached to the chassis 34. The term " permanently affixed " is synonymous with terms such as " permanently connected ", " permanently bonded ", " permanently bonded ", and the like, Quot; is intended to refer to an attachment that can not be separated without a substantial reduction of < / RTI > In another suitable embodiment, the absorbent assembly 36 includes an adhesive fastener, a viscous fastener, a mechanical fastener (e.g., a hook, a bulb, a machine room, a head, a ball- Such as an interlocking geometry (e.g., interlocking geometry), such as bolts, buckles, snaps, and the like.

Although the absorbent assembly 36 shown in Fig. 3 is shown and described herein as attaching to the chassis 34 along the crotch region 26, it is contemplated that the crotch region 26, It is contemplated that the absorbent assembly 36 may be attached to the chassis 34 along any one or more of the region 22, and / or the back waist region 24. In addition, the absorbent assembly 36 may be attached to the chassis 34 along any suitable length and / or area of the chassis 34.

3 and 4, the illustrated absorbent assembly 36 is generally rectangular with a forward end 54, a rearward end 56, and side edges 58 extending in the longitudinal direction. Although the absorbent assembly 36 is shown as being rectangular in FIGS. 3 and 4, it is contemplated that the absorbent assembly 36 may have other suitable shapes without departing from the scope of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the front and rear ends 54,56 of the absorbent assembly 36 define portions of the front and back waist edges 30,32 of the training pant 20, respectively. It is contemplated, however, that the front end portion 54 and / or the rear end portion 56 of the absorbent assembly 36 may be spaced inwardly from the front and back waist edges 30, 32 of the training pant 20 have. In this embodiment, the front and back waist edges 30,32 of the training pant 20 are defined only by the chassis 34. [ 3, the side edges 58 of the absorbent assembly 36 may be slightly spaced inwardly from the side edges 28 of the absorbent training pant 20. In other embodiments (see, for example, FIG. 9), opposite side edges 58 of the absorbent assembly 36 can form portions of the side edges 28 of the absorbent training pant 20 have. It is also contemplated that the front end 54 and / or the rear end 56 of the absorbent assembly 36 may be folded (in a direction away from the chassis 34) to create pockets.

In one embodiment, the absorbent assembly 36 is attached to the backsheet in a superimposed relationship by a suitable means such as a liquid impervious backsheet 46 and adhesive, ultrasonic bonding, pressure bonding, thermal bonding, or other conventional techniques. And an attached bodyside liner 48. The absorbent structure (or absorbent core) 50 is disposed between the backsheet 46 and the bodyside liner 48. As described in more detail below, a pair of leak-barrier flaps 52 is integrally formed from the absorbent assembly 36 to inhibit lateral flow of body exudates.

In one suitable embodiment, the backsheet comprises a material that is substantially liquid impermeable. The backsheet 46 may be a single layer of liquid impervious material, or it may comprise a multi-layer laminate structure in which at least one of the layers is liquid impermeable. The multiple layers of back sheet 46 may be suitably joined together by adhesive, ultrasonic bonding, pressure bonding, thermal bonding, and the like. Suitable adhesives may be applied continuously or intermittently as beads, spray, parallel vortex, etc.

The backsheet 46 may be both liquid and vapor impermeable, or, more suitably, liquid impermeable and vapor permeable. The backsheet 46 may be made of a thin plastic film, but other flexible liquid impermeable materials may be used. The backsheet 46 prevents waste from wearers and caregivers as well as wetting articles such as bed sheets and clothes.

In one suitable embodiment, the liquid impermeable material still allows the liquid to escape from the interior of the disposable absorbent article while still preventing the liquid from passing through the backsheet 46. One suitable " breathable " material is comprised of a microporous polymer film or nonwoven fabric that is coated or otherwise treated to impart a desired level of liquid impermeability.

It is also contemplated that the backsheet 46 may comprise a liquid permeable material, or that the backsheet 46 may be completely omitted from the absorbent assembly 36. In such an embodiment, the chassis 34 suitably comprises a liquid impermeable material that provides a liquid barrier for body exudates. The body side liner 48 is affixed to the chassis 34 such that the absorbent structure 50 is disposed between the body side liner 48 and the inner surface of the chassis 34. In one embodiment, . In another suitable embodiment, both the absorbent structure 50 and the bodyside liner 48 are attached to the chassis 34.

It is also contemplated that the backsheet 46 may be elastic and, more appropriately, may be elastic. In one embodiment, the backsheet 46 may be suitably stretchable, and more suitably elastic, at least in the transverse or circumferential direction of the pant 20. In other embodiments, the backsheet 46 may be stretchable in both the transverse and longitudinal directions, and more suitably elastic.

The bodyside liner 48 is suitably flexible, gives a soft feel, and does not irritate the wearer's skin. In addition, the bodyside liner 48 has sufficient liquid permeability to allow the body's liquid effluent to readily pass through the thickness of the bodyside liner toward the absorbent structure 50. In addition, the bodyside liner 48 is less hydrophilic than the absorbent structure 50, providing a relatively dry surface to the wearer and allowing the liquid to readily penetrate through its thickness. The hydrophilic / hydrophobic properties may vary over the length, width, and / or depth of the bodyside liner 48 and the absorbent structure 50 to achieve a desired rate of fluid aspiration and drying.

Suitable bodyside liner 48 may be manufactured from a wide variety of materials selected from web materials such as porous foams, reticulated foams, perforated plastic films, woven and nonwoven webs, or any combination of such materials. For example, the bodyside liner 48 may comprise a meltblown web, a spunbond web, or a bonded-carded-web comprised of natural fibers, synthetic fibers, or combinations thereof. The bodyside liner 48 may be comprised of a substantially hydrophobic material, which may optionally be treated with a surfactant or otherwise treated to impart a desired level of wettability and hydrophilicity. Surfactants may be applied by any conventional means such as spraying, printing, brush coating, and the like. Surfactants may be applied to the entire bodyside liner 48 or selectively applied to specific portions of the bodyside liner, such as an intermediate section along the longitudinal centerline.

7) (e.g., a bodyside liner 48 attached to and / or extending with the absorbent structure 50) of the bodyside liner 48. In some embodiments, Portions of the bodyside liner 48 (the portions of the bodyside liner 48 that are referred to as the lateral outer regions 128 (Fig. 7)) on which the leak-barrier flaps 52 are formed, May be treated or otherwise coated to impart a desired level of liquid permeability or impermeability in each zone 126, 128. In one embodiment, the lateral lateral regions 128 of the bodyside liner 48 are treated or coated such that the lateral lateral regions 128 are less liquid permeable than the central region 126. In these embodiments, the backsheet 46 may extend only partially into the leak-barrier flaps 52, or, in some embodiments, may be provided on the bodyside side to provide a barrier to counter- The liner 48 may not extend at all because it has sufficient liquid impermeability along the leak-barrier flaps 52. [

In a particularly suitable embodiment, the lateral outer zones 128 have a larger head than the hydrostatic head of the central zone 126. More specifically, the ratio of the constant to the center of the median zone 126 of the lateral outer zones 128 is at least about two, more suitably at least about five. As a suitable example, the laterally outward section has a quadruple of greater than about 40 cm, and more suitably, a quadruple of greater than about 100 cm.

An integer is a measure of the liquid barrier properties of the fabric. An integer number indicates the height (in cm) of the water supported by the fabric before a predetermined amount of liquid has passed. A fabric having a high quintuple reading has a greater barrier to liquid permeation than a fabric having a low quintuple. Suitable materials and methods of making such materials are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,482,755 issued to Bradley et al. On May 9, 1996, U.S. Patent No. 5,492,751 issued to Butt, Sr. et al. On Feb. 20, 1996 U.S. Patent No. 6,822,136, issued November 23, 2004 to Niemeyer et al., Which are incorporated herein by reference.

In other embodiments, the bodyside liner 48 may have a permeability gradient that increases in permeability toward the central region 126 of the bodyside liner 48. In other embodiments, More specifically, the bodyside liner 48 can be made more permeable closer to the crotch region 26 of the absorbent training pant 20, and as it goes toward the free edge 74 of the leak-barrier flaps 52 The permeability can be reduced. The desired level of liquid permeability of the bodyside liner 48 can be determined by using the desired liquid permeable material or by inducing permeability through partial or selective dissolution to selectively fill the optional portions of the bodyside liner 48 with the surfactant, Treatment or otherwise coating.

In other embodiments, the bodyside liner 48 may be formed of different discrete materials so as to obtain a desired level of liquid permeability or impermeability in each section 126, 128. 8, the absorbent assembly 236 includes a body-side liner (not shown) including a liquid-pervious central liner 306 and two liquid-impervious outer liners 308 304).

The bodyside liner 48 may also be stretchable and, more suitably, may have elastomeric properties. Elastic polymer materials suitable for forming the bodyside liner 48 include elastic strands, elastic lycra (LYCRA), cast or blown elastic film, nonwoven elastic web, meltblown or spunbond elastomeric fibrous web, and combinations thereof Water may be included. Examples of suitable elastomeric materials include KRATON elastomers, HYTREL elastomers, ESTANE elastomeric polyurethanes (available from Noveon, Cleveland, Ohio) or PEBAX elastomers. The body side liner 48 may also be made from an extensible material as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 09 / 563,417, filed May 3, 2000, by Roessler et al., Or by Vukos et al. For example, as disclosed in U. S. Patent Application Serial No. 09 / 698,512, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Absorbent structure 50 is disposed between back sheet 46 and body side liner 48 and includes longitudinally opposing ends 130 (Fig. 4), and respective corner areas < RTI ID = 0.0 > And laterally opposite side edges 120 that meet at a second end 132 of the second end portion. As used herein, the corner regions 132 of the absorbent structure 50 generally refer to areas where the edge margin of the absorbent structure 50 transitions from its longitudinal end to its adjacent lateral lateral edge. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the longitudinal ends 130 of the absorbent structure 50 are configured so that the lateral side edges (s) 130 are positioned such that the corner areas 132 of the absorbent structure 50 are approximately defined points 120). ≪ / RTI > However, for example, corner areas 132 may be rounded where the absorbent structure 50 bends to define a round transition from the longitudinal ends 130 to the adjacent lateral lateral edge 120, And within the meaning of the term corner region as used herein. As such, the absorbent structure 50 of the illustrated embodiment has four defined corner areas 132, two of which are laterally spaced from each other in the front waist region 22 of the panty 20 4), and the other two are laterally spaced from each other in the rear waist region 24 of the panties.

As can be seen in Figures 4 and 5, the illustrated absorbent structure 50 is approximately rectangular. However, it is contemplated that the absorbent structure 50 may have any suitable shape and size. For example, the absorbent structure 50 may include an arcuate leg cut in the crotch region 26 of the training pant 20 (e.g., by die cutting the absorbent structure).

Although the illustrated absorbent structure 50 is shown and described as extending from the crotch region 26 to the front and back waist regions 22 and 24, it is contemplated that the absorbent structure may be disposed within the crotch region 26, To the front waist region 22 only or to the back waist region 24 only.

The absorbent structure 50 is suitably compressible, conformable, does not irritate the wearer ' s skin, and can absorb and retain liquids and certain body wastes. For example, the absorbent structure 50 can be made from a variety of materials including cellulose fibers (e.g., wood pulp fibers), other natural fibers, synthetic fibers, woven or nonwoven sheets, scrim knit or other stabilizing structures, superabsorbent materials, Surfactants, selected hydrophobic materials, pigments, lotions, odor control agents, and the like, and combinations thereof. In certain embodiments, the absorbent structure comprises a matrix of cellulose fluff and superabsorbent hydrogel-forming particles. Cellulose fluff includes a blend of wood pulp fluff. Suitable types of fluffs include, for example, fluff pulp available from Weyerhaeuser Company under the designation FR416 (7.5% moisture) and CF416 (7.5% moisture). Weyerhaeuser Company has offices in Federal Way, Washington, USA.

The materials can be formed in the web structure by employing various conventional methods and techniques. For example, the absorbent structure 50 may be formed by a dry forming technique, an air forming technique, a wet forming technique, a foam forming technique, and the like, and a combination thereof. Methods and apparatus for carrying out these techniques are known in the art. In addition, the absorbent structure 50 itself may include multiple layers in the Z direction (e.g., thickness) of the absorbent structure 50. Such multiple layers can utilize the difference in absorbing capacity, such as by placing a layer of low absorbent capacity material closer to the liner 48 than the absorbent capacity material to the back sheet 46, for example. Likewise, the discrete portions of the single layer absorbent structure may comprise a high capacity absorbent, and other discrete portions of the structure may comprise a low capacity absorbent.

The superabsorbent material may suitably be present in the absorbent structure 50 in an amount of from about 0 to about 100 weight percent based on the total weight of the absorbent structure 50. [ The absorbent structure 50 may suitably have a density within the range of about 0.10 to about 0.60 grams / cm < ³ >.

Superabsorbent materials are known in the art and can be selected from natural, synthetic, and modified natural polymers and materials. The superabsorbent material may be an inorganic material, for example silica gel, or an organic compound, such as a crosslinked polymer. Typically, the superabsorbent material is capable of absorbing at least about 10 times its own liquid weight, and preferably absorbing more than about 25 times its own liquid weight. Suitable superabsorbent materials can be readily purchased by various suppliers. For example, there is the Hysorb T 9700 superabsorbent marketed by BASF in Ludwigshafen, Germany or the Favor SXM 5600 superabsorbent marketed by Evonik of Essen, Germany.

The absorbent structure 50 may alternatively comprise a coform material. The term "coform material" generally refers to a composite material comprising a mixture of thermoplastic fibers and a second non-thermoplastic material or a stabilized matrix. In one example, the coform material is produced by a process in which at least one meltblown die head is disposed adjacent a chute where other materials are added to the web during formation. These other materials may include fibrous organic materials such as wood or non-wood pulp such as cotton, rayon, recycled paper, pulp fluff, superabsorbent particles, inorganic absorbent materials, treated polymeric staple fibers, But is not limited to. Any of a variety of synthetic polymers may be used as the melt spun component of the coform material. For example, in some aspects, thermoplastic polymers can be used. Some examples of suitable thermoplastic materials that may be utilized include polyolefins, polyamides, and polyesters such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polybutylene. In one aspect, the thermoplastic polymer is polypropylene. Examples of such coform materials are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,100,324 (Anderson et al.); 5,284,703 (Everhart et al.); And 5,350, 624 (Georger et al.), Which are incorporated herein by reference.

In one aspect, the absorbent structure 50 is stretchable so as not to prevent the possibility of stretching of other components, such as the backsheet 46 and the bodyside liner 48, to which the absorbent structure can be attached. After forming or cutting into the desired shape, the absorbent structure 50 may be wrapped or included with a suitable wrap (not shown) to help maintain the integrity and shape of the absorbent structure.

The absorbent assembly 36 is configured to contain and / or absorb exudates discharged from the wearer. For example, the leak-barrier flaps 52 are configured to provide a barrier to lateral flow of body exudates. As described in further detail below, the flap elastic members 72 (Fig. 3) may be operatively engaged with each leak-barrier flap 52. Fig. The resilient leak-barrier flaps 52 are partially or entirely free of edges 74 (not shown) that take upright configuration in at least the crotch region 26 of the absorbent training pant 20 to form a seal against the wearer's body during use 3). In one suitable embodiment, the leak-barrier flaps 52 may be positioned along the side edges 28 of the training pant 20 and may extend longitudinally along the entire length of the absorbent assembly 36 Or may be partially extended along the length of the absorbent assembly 36.

In the illustrated embodiment, the absorbent assembly 36 also includes a surge management layer 76 positioned adjacent the absorbent structure 50 (e.g., between the absorbent structure 50 and the liner 48). The surge management layer 76 helps slow and spread the surge or release of liquid that can be rapidly introduced into the absorbent structure 50 of the training pant 20. Preferably, the surge management layer 76 can quickly hold and temporarily hold the liquid before releasing it into the storage or retention portion of the absorbent structure 50. Examples of suitable bibliographic management layers are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,486,166, issued January 23, 1996 to Bishop et al .; U. S. Patent No. 5,490, 846 issued Feb. 13, 1996 to Ellis et al; And U.S. Patent No. 5,820,973, issued October 13, 1998 to Dodge, II, which are incorporated herein by reference.

Referring now specifically to Figures 3-7, the absorbent assembly 36 will be described in greater detail. 5 is a top plan view of the absorbent assembly 36 in an unfolded, flat lay-up configuration in which the leak prevention flaps 52 are not fully formed. The portions of the absorbent assembly 36 are cut in Fig. 5 to illustrate the underlying features. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the absorbent assembly 36 taken along line 6-6 of FIG. Each of back sheet 46 and bodyside liner 48 includes an inner opposing face 102 and 104 (i.e., a side facing interior of absorbent assembly 36) and an outer opposing face 106 and 108 And a side facing the opposite side of the interior of the absorbent assembly 36).

4 to 7, the body side liner 48 extends around the absorbent structure 50 and the back sheet 46 such that the inward facing surface 104 of the body side liner 48 abuts the back sheet < RTI ID = 0.0 > And overlaps with the outer opposing face 106 of the base 46. The absorbent structure 50 and the backsheet 46 are thus enclosed within the bodyside liner 48. In the illustrated embodiment, it is contemplated that although the backsheet 46 is partially surrounded by the bodyside liner 48, the backsheet 46 may be completely enveloped by the bodyside liner. The body side liner 48 is attached to the backsheet 46 using any suitable means such as adhesive, ultrasonic bonding, pressure bonding, thermal bonding or other conventional techniques. The body side liner 48 may be attached to the backsheet 46 along the inner opposing face 102 and / or the outer opposing face 106 of the backsheet 46. In one suitable embodiment, the bodyside liner 48 is attached to the backsheet 46 along a portion of the bodyside liner 48 that overlaps the outwardly facing surface 106 of the backsheet 46.

The absorbent structure 50 is disposed between the body side liner 48 and the back sheet 46 along the central region 110 of the absorbent assembly 36. In a suitable embodiment, the absorbent structure 50 is attached to the bodyside liner 48 and / or back sheet 46 using suitable means such as adhesive, ultrasonic bonding, pressure bonding, thermal bonding or other conventional techniques. Respectively. In an exemplary embodiment, the absorbent structure 50 is attached to both the bodyside liner 48 and the backsheet 46. It should be understood, however, that the absorbent structure 50 need not be bonded to both the bodyside liner 48 and the backsheet 46.

The absorbent assembly 36 shown in FIG. 5 also includes laterally outward regions 112 that extend laterally outward from the central region 110 where the leak-barrier flaps 52 are formed. The flap elastic members 72 are positioned in the respective lateral lateral regions 112 such that once the leak-barrier flaps 52 are formed, the flap elastic members 72 are positioned within the leak-barrier flaps. The leak-barrier flaps 52 are formed by folding the laterally inward portions 112 laterally inwardly, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 6, relative to the longitudinal fold line 114 shown in Figure 5, 36 of the body side liner 48 to the outside facing surface 108 of the body side liner 48 along the central region 110 of the body side liner 48.

The lateral lateral regions 112 extend longitudinally along the absorbent assembly 36 and thus form an adhesive seam 106 that forms a fixed edge 118 (Figs. 3 and 7) of each leak- Is appropriately attached to the bodyside liner (48) by a bushing (116). Suitable adhesives may be applied to the body side liner 48 continuously or intermittently, such as by beading, spraying, parallel vortexing, and the like. The adhesive seam 116 may extend along the crotch region 26 of the pant 20 to any suitable length. The adhesive seam 116 may also extend into the front waist region 22 and / or the back waist region 24 and may even extend to the ends 54 and / or 56 of the absorbent assembly 36 Can be considered. In the illustrated embodiment, the adhesive seam 116 is aligned with the laterally opposite side edges 120 of the absorbent structure 50.

Some of the lateral lateral regions 112 are left unattached to the bodyside liner 48 along at least a portion of the crotch region 26 to form the free edge 74 of the leakage preventing flaps 52 have. The free edges 74 of the leak prevention flaps 52 are disposed on the opposite side of the fixed edge 118 and are configured to assume an upright configuration at least in the crotch region 26 of the absorbent training pant 20. More specifically, the flap elastic members 72 are configured such that the free edges 74 of the leak-barrier flaps 52 take an upright configuration when tension is applied to the flap elastic members 72, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 74 < / RTI >

The flap elastic members 72 may be made of the same elastic materials as the waist elastic members 78 and 80 and / or the leg elastic members, including sheets, strands or ribbons of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or thermoplastic elastomeric polymer As shown in FIG. The elastic materials can be stretched and fixed relative to the substrate and can be fixed to the collected substrate or can be elasticized or shrunk after being fixed to the substrate, for example by applying heat such that an elastic recovery force is imparted to the substrate have.

The flap elastic members 72 may extend along the leak-barrier flaps 52 to any suitable length. In the illustrated embodiment, the flap elastic members 72 extend less than the entire length of the leak-barrier flaps 52. In one suitable embodiment, the flap elastic members 72 extend along the leak-barrier flaps 52 only in the crotch region 26 of the training pant 20. In another suitable embodiment, the flap elastic members 72 are substantially extendible with the absorbent structure 50. That is, in one embodiment, the flap elastic members 72 in the leak-barrier flaps 52 extend to the length of the absorbent structure 50. It should be understood, however, that the flap elastic members 72 may extend to any suitable length along the leak-barrier flaps 52, including, for example, the entire length of the leak-barrier flaps 52. [ In one suitable embodiment, for example, the flap elastic members 72 may extend into the flap attachment regions 122 described below with reference to FIG.

The flap elastic members 72 may include active portions (i.e., portions of the resilient flap elastic member 72) and inactive portions (i.e., portions of the inelastic flap elastic member 72) have. Portions of the flap elastic members 72 may be deactivated (i.e., inelastic), for example, by "cutting" the flap elastic members 72 along the desired inactive portion or otherwise. The flap elastic members 72 may comprise any suitable number of active and inactive portions having any suitable dimension and configuration. In a suitable embodiment, for example, the longitudinally opposite ends of the flap elastic members 72 may extend into the flap attachment regions 122 (Fig. 3), the flap attachment regions 122, Lt; / RTI >

As shown in FIG. 7, when the leak-barrier flaps 52 are fully formed, the backsheet 46 is surrounded by the leak-barrier flaps 52 by the bodyside liner 48. More specifically, the leak-barrier flaps 52 include portions of the backsheet 46 interposed between the two layers of the bodyside liner 48. The backsheet 46 extends into the leak-barrier flaps 52 from the fixed edges 118 of each leak-barrier flap 52 toward the free edges 74 of the leak-barrier flaps. In the illustrated embodiment, the backsheet 46 extends at least partially appropriately into the leak-barrier flaps 52 to provide a liquid-impermeable layer within the leak-barrier flaps 52. In the illustrated embodiment, the backsheet 46 extends only partially into the leak-barrier flaps 52, but the backsheet 46 can extend to the full length of the leak-barrier flaps 52 to the free edges 74 Or the backsheet 46 may not extend into the leak-barrier flaps 52 at all.

The backsheet 46 is bonded to the body side liner 48 and / or the body side liner 48 along the inside facing surface 102 and / or the outside facing surface 106 of the back sheet 46 by adhesive, ultrasonic bonding, pressure bonding, Or absorbent structure 50, as appropriate. Suitable adhesives may be applied continuously or intermittently as beads, spray, parallel vortex, etc. In one suitable embodiment, the backsheet 46 is affixed to the bodyside liner 48 in the leak-barrier flaps 52. More specifically, the outer facing surface 106 of the back sheet 46 is attached to the inward facing surface 104 of the bodyside liner 48 in the leak-barrier flap 52. The inner facing surface 102 of the back sheet 46 is attached to the outer facing surface 108 of the bodyside liner 48 in the leakproof flap 52. [

In the illustrated embodiment, the backsheet 46 extends from within one leak-barrier flap 52 into the other leak-barrier flaps 52 around the absorbent structure 50, Impermeable barrier. In some embodiments, the backsheet 46 does not extend around the absorbent structure 50 and instead forms a liquid-impermeable barrier within the leak-barrier flaps 52, Impermeable material affixed to the bodyside liner 48 near the leak-barrier flaps, and / or segmented or discrete sheets of liquid impervious material attached to the bodyside liner 48 near the leak-barrier flaps. In such embodiments, the chassis 34 may be suitably formed of a liquid impervious material to provide a liquid impermeable barrier between the absorbent structure 50 and the garment facing surface of the pant 20.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the fixed edges 118 of the leak-barrier flaps 52 are spaced apart by the lateral distance 136. In the illustrated embodiment, the leak-barrier flaps 52 and the fixed edges 118 of the leak-barrier flaps 52 are substantially parallel to each other. As a result, the lateral distance 136 between the fixed edges 118 is substantially the same along the length of the leak-barrier flaps 52. In the illustrated embodiment, the fixed edges 118 of the leak-barrier flaps 52 are offset from the side edges 58 of the absorbent assembly 36. In some embodiments, the fixed edges 118 of the leak-barrier flaps 52 allow the leak-barrier flaps 52 to be disposed on the side edges 58 of the absorbent assembly 36 and / And may be formed near the side edges 58 of the absorbent assembly 36 to be aligned with its side edges. In these embodiments, the distance between the lateral distance 136 and the overall width of the absorbent assembly 36 is substantially equal to the width of the leak-barrier flaps 52. [

In addition to the adhesive seam 116, the leak-barrier flaps 52 may be attached to the bodyside liner 48 along the end portions of the leak-barrier flaps 52. In the illustrated embodiment, the leakage preventing flaps 52 are attached to the bodyside liner 48 in the front waist region 22 and the back waist region 24 to define the flap attachment regions 122 3 and Fig. 5). For example, the flap attachment regions 122 may be formed in the front waist region 22 and / or the back waist region 24 so that the waist edges 30, 32 can form a better seal around the waist of the wearer. As shown in FIG. The flap attachment regions 122 suitably extend into the ends 54,56 of the absorbent assembly 36 and extend through the front waist region 22 and / or the back waist region 24 to the absorbent training pant 20 To the crotch region 26 of the crotch region. The flap attachment regions 122 extend from the ends 54,56 of the absorbent assembly 36 only partially through the front waist region 22 and / or the back waist region 24. In other embodiments, .

FIG. 8 illustrates another suitable embodiment of an absorbent assembly 236 suitable for use with the training pant 20 of FIGS. 1-3. The absorbent assembly 236 is substantially similar to the absorbent assembly 36 described above. More specifically, the absorbent assembly 236 is affixed to the chassis (not shown in FIG. 8) and extends from the front waist region 22 through the crotch region 26 to the rear waist region 24 of the training pant 20 In the longitudinal direction. As in the absorbent assembly 36, the absorbent assembly 236 can extend from the crotch region 26 only to the front waist region 22 or only to the back waist region 24 without departing from the scope of the present invention. Can be considered. In addition, the absorbent assembly 236 may extend along the crotch region 26 and / or to any suitable length to the front waist region 22 and / or the back waist region 24.

The illustrated absorbent assembly 236 is generally rectangular in shape with a front end, a rear end, and side edges that extend in the longitudinal direction. Although the absorbent assembly 236 is shown as having a rectangular shape in FIG. 8, it is contemplated that the absorbent assembly 236 may have other suitable shapes without departing from the scope of the present invention.

In a suitable embodiment, the absorbent assembly 236 is formed from a liquid impermeable backsheet 302 and a liquid impervious backsheet (not shown) by suitable means such as adhesive, ultrasonic bonding, pressure bonding, thermal bonding or other conventional techniques, Side liner (304) attached to the body-side liner (302). The absorbent structure (or absorbent core) 50 is disposed between the backsheet 302 and the bodyside liner 304.

A pair of leak-barrier flaps 52 are integrally formed from the absorbent assembly 236 in the same manner as described above with reference to Figs. 5-7. More specifically, the laterally outer regions of the absorbent assembly 236 are suitably attached to the bodyside liner 304 by an adhesive seam 116 extending lengthwise along the absorbent assembly 236, Thereby forming a fixed edge 118 of the prevention flap 52.

Some of the leak-barrier flaps 52 are left unattached to the bodyside liner 304 along at least a portion of the crotch region 26, as in the absorbent assembly 36, Thereby forming free edges 74. The free edges 74 of the leak prevention flaps 52 are disposed on the opposite side of the fixed edge 118 and are configured to assume an upright configuration at least in the crotch region 26 of the absorbent training pant 20. More specifically, the flap elastic members 72 are configured such that, when tension is applied to the flap elastic members 72, the free edges 74 of the leak-barrier flaps 52 take an upright configuration And is positioned near free edge 74 to form a seal against the body.

The backsheet 302 may comprise the same materials as the backsheet 46 described above with reference to Figures 3-7 and may have the same configuration as the backsheet. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the backsheet 302 may suitably comprise a liquid permeable material, or may be suitably omitted completely from the absorbent assembly 236 as a result of the configuration of the bodyside liner 304 have.

The absorbent structure 50 may include the same materials as the absorbent structure 50 described above with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7, and may have the same configuration as the absorbent structure.

Similar to the absorbent assembly 36, the absorbent assembly 236 may be located adjacent to the absorbent structure 50 (e.g., between the absorbent structure 50 and the body side liner 304) Includes a surge management layer 76 that helps reduce or diffuse surges or emissions of liquid that can be rapidly introduced into the absorbent structure 50 of the panty 20.

The absorbent assembly 236 is configured such that the bodyside liner 304 of the absorbent assembly 236 has two liquid impermeable outer liner 304 attached to the laterally opposed sides of the liquid permeable central liner 306 and the central liner 306 Liner < / RTI > In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the leak-barrier flaps 52 are suitably formed from the liquid-impermeable outer liners 308. The liquid pervious central liner 306 and the liquid impermeable outer liner 308 are suitably compliant, give a soft feel, and do not irritate the wearer's skin. The central liner 306 has sufficient liquid permeability to allow liquid body exudates to easily reach the absorbent structure 50 through the thickness of the central liner.

The liquid impermeable outer liners 308 suitably include materials that are substantially liquid impermeable, suitably compliant, give a soft feel, and do not irritate the wearer ' s skin. One particularly suitable material for the outer liners 308 comprises a spunbonded / meltblown / spunbonded (S / M / S) laminate. Other suitable materials for the outer liners 308 and methods of making such materials are described in Butt, Sr. U.S. Patent No. 5,492,751, issued February 20, 1996, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Since the leak-barrier flaps 52 of the absorbent assembly 236 are formed from the liquid-impermeable outer liners 308, the backsheet 302 is configured such that the leak-barrier flaps 52 are formed from the liquid- It is not necessary to extend into the leakage preventing flaps 52 to the same degree as the embodiments. It is also contemplated that the backsheet 302 may be omitted entirely from the absorbent assembly 236.

9 shows a side view of an absorbent article 50 that is also in the form of a training pant 420 with discrete front and rear side panels 502, 504 that are formed separately from the absorbent assembly 36 and secured to the absorbent assembly An alternative embodiment is shown. The side panels 502 and 504 are permanently bonded to the absorbent assembly 36 of each front and back waist regions 22 and 24 of the panty 420. More specifically, the front side panels 502 can be permanently bonded to the side edges 58 of the absorbent assembly 36 in the front waist region 22 and can extend laterally outward beyond their side edges And the rear side panels 504 can be permanently bonded to the side edges 58 of the absorbent assembly 36 in the back waist region 24 and extend laterally outward beyond their side edges. The side panels 502 and 504 can be joined to the absorbent assembly 36 using attachment means known to those of ordinary skill in the art, such as adhesive, thermal bonding, pressure bonding, or ultrasonic bonding.

The front and rear side panels 502 and 504 include portions of the training pant 420 that are positioned on the wearer's hips when the training pant 420 is worn. The front and rear side panels 502 and 504 may be permanently joined together to form a three dimensional configuration of the training pant 420 or may be permanently joined together by the fastening system 64 of, And can be detachably connected to each other.

In the embodiment of FIG. 9, the side panels 502, 504 include an elastic material that can be stretched in at least directions substantially parallel to the lateral axis 62 of the training panty 420. Methods of incorporating suitable elastic materials and elastic side portions in training pants are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,940,464, issued July 10, 1990 to Van Gompel et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,224,405, issued July 6, 1993 to Pohjola, U.S. Patent No. 5,104,116 issued Apr. 14, 1992 to Pohjola, U.S. Patent No. 5,046,272, issued September 10, 1991 to Vogt et al., All of which are incorporated herein by reference. In specific aspects, the elastic material may comprise a stretch-thermal laminate (STL), a net-bonded laminate (NBL), a reversible net laminate, or a stretch-bonded laminate . Methods of making such materials are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art and are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,663,220 issued May 5, 1987 to Wisneski et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,226,992 issued July 13, 1993 to Morman, Taylor European Patent Application Publication No. EP 0 217 032, published April 8, 1987, and PCT Application WO 01/88245, Welch et al., All of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety do.

Alternatively, the side panel material may be a different fabric or nonwoven material as described herein as being suitable for the configuration of the chassis 34 and / or bodyside liner 48, a mechanically pre-strained composite, Possible but inelastic materials may be included.

Additional material is not required along the crotch region 26 of the training pant 20 to attach the leak-barrier flaps 52, as a result of the leak-barrier flaps 52 being integrally formed with the absorbent assembly 36. As a result, the lateral width of the crotch region 26 of the absorbent training pant 20 can be smaller than known training panties, thereby providing a more attractive appearance and feel. In addition, because the leak-barrier flaps 52 are integrally formed from the absorbent assembly 36, it is possible to avoid the lateral lateral sides of the leak-barrier flaps 52 and their lateral lateral sides, A continuous liquid impermeable barrier is formed from the polymer backsheet 46 and / or the bodyside liner 48 extending from the bodyside liner 48. As a result, the barrier performance of the leak-barrier flaps 52 along the adhesive seam 116 is improved over conventional absorbent articles that tend to leak fluid along the attachment seam of generally leak-proof flaps.

The terms " one, "" the ", "the ", and" the ", when referring to the present invention or the elements of the preferred embodiment (s) of the present invention, mean that at least one of the elements is present. The terms "comprising", "having", and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (26)

With a disposable absorbent assembly,
A liquid permeable bodyside liner;
Liquid impervious backsheet;
An absorbent structure disposed between the liner and the backsheet; And
A pair of laterally opposed leak-barrier flaps integrally formed from said bodyside liner, said back sheet extending into said leak-barrier flaps. 2. The disposable absorbent assembly of claim 1, wherein the leak-barrier flaps are formed by folding the bodyside liner and attaching the bodyside liner to the bodyside liner itself along two longitudinally extending adhesive seams. 2. The disposable absorbent assembly of claim 1, wherein the backsheet is enclosed within the leak-barrier flaps by the bodyside liner. 4. The disposable absorbent assembly of claim 3, wherein the back sheet is attached to an inwardly facing surface of the bodyside liner in the leak-barrier flap. 2. The disposable absorbent assembly of claim 1, wherein the backsheet extends toward the free edges of the leak-barrier flaps. 6. The disposable absorbent assembly of claim 5, wherein the backsheet extends around the free edges of each leak-barrier flap. 2. The disposable absorbent assembly of claim 1, wherein the bodyside liner comprises a liquid permeable central region and a liquid impermeable lateral outer regions, wherein the leak-barrier flaps are formed from the liquid-impermeable lateral outer regions. The disposable absorbent assembly of claim 1, wherein each leak-barrier flap includes at least one resilient member. The absorbent assembly of claim 1, wherein the absorbent assembly has a crotch region extending between a front region, a rear region, and the front region and the rear region, each leak-barrier flap having a fixed edge and an opposite side Wherein the free edge of each leak-barrier flap is attached to the bodyside liner within at least one of the anterior region and the posterior region to define a flap attachment region. 2. The disposable absorbent assembly of claim 1, wherein the bodyside liner extends around at least a portion of the backsheet and the absorbent structure. Chassis; And
A disposable absorbent assembly as set forth in claim 1 attached to said chassis. A bodyside liner comprising a central region having a first liquid permeability and lateral lateral regions each having a second liquid permeability, the second liquid permeability of the lateral lateral regions being greater than the first liquid permeability of the central region Small, bodyside liner;
Liquid impervious backsheet;
An absorbent structure disposed between the liner and the backsheet; And
And a pair of laterally opposed leak-barrier flaps integrally formed from said bodyside liner. 13. The absorbent assembly of claim 12, wherein the leak-barrier flaps are formed from laterally outer regions of the bodyside liner. 13. The absorbent assembly of claim 12, wherein the leak-barrier flaps are formed separately and attached to portions of the bodyside liner defining the central portion. 13. The absorbent assembly of claim 12, wherein the laterally outer regions are liquid impermeable. 13. The absorbent assembly of claim 12, wherein the lateral outer regions have a first clearance, and the central region has a second clearance greater than the first clearance. 17. The absorbent assembly of claim 16, wherein the ratio of the first clearance to the second clearance is at least about two. 13. The absorbent article of claim 12, wherein the central region comprises a liquid permeable central liner, the lateral outer regions comprising a liquid impermeable outer liner, wherein the liquid impermeable outer liner comprises: To the absorbent assembly. 19. The absorbent assembly of claim 18, wherein the leak-barrier flaps are formed from the outer liner. 20. The absorbent assembly of claim 19, wherein the leak-barrier flaps are formed by attaching each of the outer liners to the outer liner itself along a longitudinally extending adhesive seam folding the outer liners. An absorbent assembly comprising a liquid pervious bodyside liner and an absorbent structure, wherein a pair of laterally opposed leak-barrier flaps are integrally formed from the bodyside liner, and wherein the bodyside liner is folded and the body- Wherein each leak-barrier flap comprises a fixed edge and a free edge opposite the fixed edge, each of the adhesive seams being formed by a plurality of adhesive seams Of the leak-barrier flap (10). 22. The absorbent assembly of claim 21, further comprising a liquid impervious backsheet, wherein the backsheet extends into the leak-barrier flaps. Chassis; And
An absorbent article comprising an absorbent assembly as set forth in claim 21 attached to said chassis. 24. The absorbent article of claim 23, wherein the chassis is liquid impermeable. 24. The absorbent article of claim 23, wherein the chassis is liquid pervious. 24. The absorbent article of claim 23, wherein the bodyside liner extends around at least a portion of the absorbent structure.

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